Wood-burning fireplace



Feb. 9, 1926, 1,512,711

.1. R. FISK Filed April 11, 1925 Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES JAMES R. FISK, OF EL PASO, TEXAS.

URNING FIREPLACE. 1

Application filed April 11, 1925. Serial No. 22,355.

To all ill/ 10m it may camera:

Be it known that I, Janus R. Fran, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at El Past), in the county of El Paso and State of 1 Texas have invented a ced-Burning Fircplace, of which the following is a full and complete specification.

My invention is an improvement in open fire places and stoves, and relates more especially to the provision of an improved form of fire pit in which the fuel is burned and by means of which a more economical consul'nption of the fuel is obtained with a greater reflection of heat into the room in the application of the invention to an open -fire place or increased heating efficiency when applied to a stove.

i I have discovered that in the burning of fuel in an open fire place, or in the the pot of a stove or furnace, better results are obtamed if no air is admitted to the fuel from the bottom or sides of the pit or pot but from the top alone in order that the burningfuel may draw from the air above the proper proportion of oxygen to maintain the required combustion.

It is a well known fact that a combustible substance when brought into the presence of oxygen does not of necessity cause combastion, inasmuch as the combustible substance has a temperature called its ignition temperature to which it must be brought before it will unite in chemical combination with oxygen and below which actual combustion will not take place and this ignition temperature must exist with oxygen present or there will be no combustion; consequently if the heat evolved in combustion is sufficient to maintain the temperature of the substance above the ignition point combustion will-continue, but if the amount of heat evolved isnot sufficient combustion will cease as soon as the external .sourceof heat which brought the substance to the ignition point is removed. Inasmuch as oxygen is the important element in the air creating the required chemical combination withthe fuel to produce combustion and nitrogen serves as the carrier of the heat the introduction of air. to the burning fuel from the bottom or sides of the pit furnishes a greater amount of air from which the oxygen is consumed than is required for proper com bustion, and it 'is obvious therefore that if the burning fuel :is confined in such a way that the airi-s supplied thereto only in proportion tothe consumption of oxygen required combustion will be effected and maintained at a material saving of fuel and a more efiicient dispostion of the heat. V fith this in mind I have found that the most feasible way of supplying the required amount of air is by permitting the burning fuel. to draw it from above only, eliminating both he bottom and side drafts, by the formation of a pit in whichthe fuel isconsumed. By providing combustion of the fuel in this mannerthere is the added advantage of a reduction of smoke. and consequently the size of the line may be considerably reduced to.

deflect the heat into the room when the pit is a part of an open fire-place My invention therefore consists in providing a pit for the burning of fuel which eliminates either bottom or side drafts and permits the burning substance to draw the oxygen from the air above on account of its affinity for the oxygen, and accomplish the results by the particular form of fire-pit for open fire places as'shown in the accompanymg drawings and hereinafter particularly described and set forth in the appended claims. 1

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation, showing the application of my invention to an open fire-place.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the fire place.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the removable front or block by which the fire pit is formed.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of a modification of the removable front for application where the width and depth of the fire-place would form a larger pit than necessary for a proper operation.

1n carrying out my invention applied to an open fire-place I provide a removable front wall 10, which closes the ront end of the fire-placeat a height ab ve the hearth 11 according to the depth of pit desired, with respect to the open end thereof formed by said front wall; it being understood that the bottom 12, side walls 13 13 and back vwall 14 of the fire-place form the other parts of said fire pit. This removable front a all is solid and fits snugly between the side walls 13 18 of the fire-place to prevent either bottom or side drafts to the burning fuel to thereby ermit the supply of air to the fuel Over tile top of said front wall. In

some instances it may be desirable to build thi front wall as a part of the fire-place but the advantages of having it removable not only makes it an attachment to a fireplace already built but allows it to be removed for convenience in cleaning the fire place. The wall 10 is preferably formed of concrete encased in sheet metal, as shown in Fig, 8, or the front only may he faced with sheet metal, as shown in Fig. 2; and it will be understood that in either instance the sheet metal facing may be painted or other wise finished for ornamental purposes, as well as provided with rings 15. or other form of hand-hold for convenience in sliding it backward and for aid in cleaning the bottom of the fire-place. By. making this removable front wall solid and heavy, as illustrated in the drawings, it not only prevents it from'being easily displaced but also provides a wall that will retain the heat towards the burning fuel and thereby increase combustion, or maintain combustion temperature of the fuel, and furthermore will also prevent the metal facing from becoming heated to such an extent as to injure the finish thereof.

In such instances where the width and depth of the fire-place would be likely to off ct the efliciency of the fuel pit I provide the modified construction of front wall as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. in

. which the front wall 16, formed of a concrete block encased in sheet metal as described witn reference to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, is formed with side walls 171'? and back vall 18, thus providing a fire pit of reduced size with reference to such a fireplace as above mentioned. In this instance, also, the bottomof the fire-place will form the bottom of the pit, and the supply of air to the burning fuel will be over the top of the four walls, 16, 1 7, 17, and lSitheside walls of the pit converging fromthe front wall 16 to the back wall 18.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that I provide an open fire-place with a wood burning fire pit which is closed at bottom and the four sides to prevent air from reaching the fuel by either a bottom or side draft, and that the ai-ris supplied to the fuel over the front wall. By this arrangement the fuel is not ignited above the plane of the upper end of the front wall on account of the draft of fresh air over the top of said front wall cooling the fuel below the ignition point, while the oxygen is drawn from the air to create the required combustion at the lower part of the fuel.

In burning the wood ignites readily at the bottom of the pit and drawing the required amount of oxygen from above, on account of its affinity for the oxygen, not only pro-- duces combustion of the fuel but maintains the heat for a longer time than if a draft of air was fed directly to the burning substance, and by eliminating a direct draft to the lower part of the fuel from the bottom or sides of the pit no kindling is required inasmuch as the blocks of wood may be easily ignited by a comparatively small wad of paper.

I claim A 1. In combination with an open fire-place having a closed bottom and closed back and side walls leading to the flue, of a removable 'solid front wall forming a closed lower portion resting on the bottom of the fire-place and fitting closely between the side walls at the forward end of t e fire-place, said solid p front wall cooperatingwith the closed bottom, side and back walls of the fire-place to form a pit without bottom or side drafts and on the bottom of which the wood to be burned is placed.

'2. In combination with an open fireplace having a closed bottom and closed side and rear-end walls leading to the fine, and a removable front wall composed of a block of solid material with a sheet metal facing, said solid front wall fitting closely between the side walls of the fire- )lace and resting on the bottom of the fire-p ace to form with the fire-place a closed pit without bottom or side drafts and on the bottom of which the wood to be burned is placed.

8. In combination with an open fire-place having a closed bottom and closed side and rear-end walls leading to the fine, and a removable solid front wall having rearwardly extending side walls and a connecting end w ll forming with the bottom of the fire-place a closed pit without bottom or side drafts and into which the air passesover the top of the walls thereof.

l. In combination with an open fire-place having a closed bottom and closed side and rear-end walls leading to the fine, and a removable solid front wall composed of a block of concrete encased insheet metal with the sheet metal extended rearwardly from the ends of said front wall to form vertical side and end walls, said front wall and side 

